Sheryl Sandberg Thanks President Obama for Tribute to Late Husband Dave Goldberg

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has spoken out for the first time since the death of her husband, SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg, in response to a tribute from President Barack Obama.

Following Goldberg’s sudden passing in Mexico on Friday, the White House uploaded a touching post to its own Facebook page celebrating his “remarkable legacy.”

“David Goldberg embodied the definition of a real leader — someone who was always looking for ways to empower others. He was generous and kind with everybody, and cared less about the limelight than making sure that the people he worked with and loved succeeded in whatever they did,” Obama wrote.

“His skills as an entrepreneur created opportunity for many; his love for his family was a joy to behold, and his example as a husband and father was something we could all learn from. We’re heartbroken by him leaving us far too soon — but we celebrate a remarkable legacy,” he concluded.

“Thank you President Barack Obama for this beautiful tribute — and for your friendship to our family. Dave Goldberg admired you for your leadership, passion, and your deep love of sports,” Sandberg wrote in response.

After wide speculation on Monday it was announced that Goldberg, 47, died of head trauma and blood loss after apparently falling off a treadmill at a villa near the Four Seasons resort in Punta Mita.

Goldberg’s brother Robert found him on the floor of the resort’s gym around 7 p.m. He was transported with weak vital signs to Hospital San Javier in Nuevo Vallarta, where he died there. The incident is thought to be an accident, as it appears that “he fell off the treadmill and cracked his head open,” a hospital spokesperson said.